The Truth
by LadyStandish
Summary: ATF, Ezra falls in love, will one lie tear the love apart.


FRIDAY OCTOBER 10TH  
  
Ezra Standish sat in his oversized office chair looking to the clock that hung on the wall just above JD's head. The clock's hands were still in the same position that they were the last time he looked at the clock, which was two minutes before. It felt to him as though time was standing still when he only wanted it to fly by quickly. He couldn't get her out of his mind, he had tried all day long but nothing would take the smell of her perfume or her beauty from his thoughts.  
  
Ezra had thought about what Maggie Thompson had to pull his heart in so far and so fast. The first time that he had laid eyes on her, he was in love. He had walked around the office in an empty state of mind. Ezra's attention was miles from the other six A.T.F. Officers that he worked with. His mind far from the piled caseload sitting on his desk or the case at hand. His mind had stayed on the long blonde haired, blue-eyed woman he ran into while picking up the officer's lunch at the local deli. From that day on they have been like one. Maggie had moved in with Ezra just after a couple of months of being together. Ezra felt as though she was still far away from him even if she was right next to him. He was just not himself when they were apart from each other. Ezra woke up early in the mornings just so that he could get his work done early and get back to the apartment he shared with her. He hated to leave her there in bed by herself every morning; his biggest fear was that she wouldn't be there when he got home every night.  
  
"Hey earth to Ezra!" Ezra snapped out of his empty state of mind when Buck moved his hands wildly in front of his face like a wild man making sure that he had Ezra's full attention.  
  
"What!" Ezra snapped "Where is that umm umm" Buck thought about something for a minute thinking that snapping his fingers together would help him remember and then after a few seconds finally turned around to face the other men that made up team 7. "JD WHAT WAS IT I WAS ASKING FOR?"  
  
"Would it be this Mr. Wilmington?" Ezra said as he handed the case files over to Buck's waiting hands.  
  
"Man you really need to get out of here or something, run home to that pretty little thang of yours and well I think that you get my drift right?" Buck winked at Ezra and then slapped him on the back before leaving and heading back toward his desk.  
  
"That man there, he is in need of a hormone check along with a beak himself." Ezra said shaking his head as he got up from his desk. He gave the clock one more look before walking toward Chris Larabee's office to see if he could go home already.  
  
"We are all meeting at the saloon tonight right?" Nathan said has be poked his head inside the office of Chris Larabee. "Yep" "8 o'clock" Nathan asked with a smile across his face. "Yep" "See you then!" "Okay"  
  
Ezra had to laugh when he caught the conversation of Nathan and Chris. Chris didn't speak more than three words a day and it amazed Ezra on how he got his point across to everyone. Maybe with those cold stares and that hard as nails attitude was what got his points across.  
  
"May I please leave now Mr. Larabee?" "Yep" "Thank you." "Saloon 8 o'clock be there." It was more an order to Standish than an invitation.  
  
Standish nodded his head and then walked back to his desk to gather all his things before he headed to his car in the parking lot. He hated those get together's that the guys like to have on the weekends. He always went more on because Larabee made sure he knew he best be there or there would be hell to pay.  
  
******************************************************** Standish pulled his car close to the sidewalk in front of the town house apartment that he lived in. He just wanted to get the night over with and enjoy the rest of the weekend that he had. He walked through the door to the apartment and right off heard the shower running. He laid his briefcase and jacket down on the armchair and then headed toward the sound of the running water. He was in the master bedroom when he saw Maggie getting ready to step in the shower. She was breath taken he thought as he watched her take the towel off around her slim tan body. Her long blonde hair pinned up into a bun with only a few strands falling against her shoulders.  
  
Ezra remembered life before Maggie on how he kept running a race to escape all harm that could come to him. He had none to share the days with or even share a simple sunrise with. He had always felt as though he was on the outside looking in. Looking at all the happy couples around him, his friends, his co-workers and then the people that past him by everyday, now every thing in his life were different. Now there was someone that he could hold close to him at night. There was someone for him to share the sunrise with, and the sunset. He didn't like mornings to well but now he wakes up just to watch the sunrise and hold Maggie tight to his chest.  
  
Ezra sat down on the edge of the bed waiting for Maggie to get out of the shower just so he could pull her close to him and hold her tight. He looked around the room and loved the change that she had made when she had moved in with him. Flowers now sat on the dresser along with pictures of him and her together. She had told him that pictures were a way of stopping that certain time when they were taken. When you look at one certain picture you can remember what was going on at that time. She was right he thought, pictures do make time stand still for just a few moments.  
  
"Ezra is that you?" Maggie asked when she had turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. "Yes"  
  
Maggie wrapped the towel around her body and walked into the master bedroom to see Ezra now laid across the king size bed. His hands covering his face and his hair in a mess from where he had run his fingers through it.  
  
"Hey you, what are you doing home so early?" Maggie asked while sitting down on the bed next to Ezra.  
  
"I wanted to get home to you, come here!" Ezra said as he grabbed hold of Maggie's waist pulling her down on the bed next to him at the same time pulling the towel off around her waist. Ezra wrapped her into his arms and held her close to his chest. He ran his fingers over her bare flesh and the scent of a fresh shower filled his nostrils. He didn't mind that her body was still wet from the shower or that her wet strands of hair fell in his face. He just wanted to hold her there in his arms and never leave that bedroom that they share together. ********************************************************** Maggie laid there in Ezra's arms, she knew that she had needed to have a certain talk with him very soon. Each time that she tried to say something he would change the subject or act as though he wasn't listening to her. Which had only made her nervous and unable to talk to him. She loved him very much and she had given him all of her heart and soul. She knew that the talk would have to come very soon or she wouldn't be able to talk about it later.  
  
"Ezra, can we talk for just a second?" Maggie asked while her stomach was in knots.  
  
"Yeah but we don't have too long, I need to get a shower and then we are to meet at the saloon at 8 o'clock. Can you believe that Chris made it out to be an order that I had to meet them there? I mean good lord weekends should just be weekends. I really don't know who that man thinks that he is. Monday through Friday he is my boss, but for god sakes give me my weekends.'  
  
Ezra kept going on and on about work and how he had to meet every Friday night at the saloon. He moaned and cried about having to hang out with the guys when he just wanted to be home to rest after a week of work. Maggie had yet once again lost the nerve to talk to Ezra. He done it to her every time, to her it was sort of like he knew what she wanted to talk about or something. So instead she just got up to get dressed and ready to go out.  
  
Maggie sat down at the vanity and watched through the mirror as Ezra got up and walked into the shower while taking his shirt and tie off. She couldn't believe that he hadn't even asked what she wanted to talk about. She thought that he would at least ask, but he paid her no attention and got into the shower. ************************************************************** "Damn I wish I was your lover!' Buck sang as he came closer to Maggie. "Hey there pretty thing, you have never told us why you are with someone like Ezra. Since there are some nicer looking fellas, like me." Buck stated as he playfully dusted off pretend lint on his shirt.  
  
You could hear Buck's laughter through out the noisy saloon. He loved to pick on Ezra. Every chance that he got he would tease and play around with Maggie just to see the look that crossed Ezra's face. As on cue Ezra's face turned bright red and gave Buck a look that came straight from hell. Buck knew how to get under Ezra's skin; all you had to do was use Maggie.  
  
"Oh come on Ez I was only fooling with ya!' Buck laughed while he put his arm around Maggie's shoulders.  
  
Ezra sat at the round table with the other team members, as they talked, laughed and drunk up into the night. They had talked about work a little and talk about the vacation all of them wanted to take. They made jokes and told jokes, each of them laughing like there was no end.  
  
Through out the night Ezra would look over to Maggie and always she had what looked to him like a fake smile across her face. He knew something was bothering her he could just tell from the way she was acting for the last few days. He thought about before the were leaving to go to the saloon. He remembered how he shut her out and acted as though she wasn't even standing there. Maybe he would ask her when they went home for the night, he thought.  
  
***************************************************************** They had finally left the saloon as it was closing, just like every other Friday night, the team 7 usually helped close the bar down for the night.  
  
"See all of you Monday morning bright and early" Chris Larabee said as he was climbing into his black dodge ram.  
  
"Of course!" rang out as everyone got into the cars to leave. They hated dragging their butts out of bed on Monday mornings after the weekend's fun.  
  
Ezra opened the door for Maggie to get in the car and then shut it and walked around to the driver side to get in.  
  
Once they were on the road to go home Ezra finally looked over to Maggie who was in complete silence.  
  
"Maggie is there something bothering you, is there something that you want to talk about?"  
  
Maggie played with her purse strap in her hands then look over to Ezra. "Ezra what do you think about children?" it was a simple question Maggie thought.  
  
Ezra thought about the question for a moment. Children, he was scared to death of children. He had never even thought of ever having children on his own cause there was no way in this world he wanted them to grow up just like him. He didn't have much of a childhood growing up, so in all honestly he didn't know how to be a child or how a child should be. He knew that within time Maggie would be wanting to have children, but he didn't know that it would be this soon in their relationship. He was still getting use to another person living in his home, another toothbrush lying on the bathroom counter every morning and night. Hell he was even still getting use to women things being all around the apartment. The stuff that really scared him was the stuff in the bathroom that he didn't know what they were used for. How could he be ready to bring any children in.  
  
Ezra had only wanted to make Maggie happy; he gave her everything that he could. He done everything he knew how to do for her. When he knew it was that time of the month he stayed away from her so not to upset her. When she was down and out about something he made sure that she would tell him so that it didn't burn a hole in her. He made sure she was safe and sound every second of the day that he could. How on earth could he take care of another human being.  
  
"Mag, I know that you would like to have children within time, in a way so would I sweetheart." Ezra thought long and hard about his next words in hope that he wouldn't cause in trouble between them. "Right now is not a good time for children, I haven't any plans for children right now. I hope that you can understand that?"  
  
It was more of a question than an answer to Maggie. She knew Ezra's feelings on the whole children subject. But some how in her mind she just wanted to make sure for herself. She just was in hopes of hearing him say that he was ready and that he did want children.  
  
Maggie placed her hand on her stomach and said a silent pray to God that she would make it through some how weather it is by herself or with Ezra. But she had truly found out how Ezra felt, and it tore through her heart to hear him say what he had just said. She wondered if it was asking too much for a little care and concern from Ezra. **************************************************************************** ********************* MONDAY OCTOBER 13TH  
  
Maggie stood in front of the bathroom counter with her hands on either side of the counter just staring into the large mirror that hung from the wall. She had been sick the entire morning and didn't know if she could take it any more. Ezra had left a little early for work, after she had nearly pushed him out of bed and into the shower, she didn't want him to see her sick so she tried to make him hurry out of the house before she ended up throwing up all over him. She hated to lie to him, which was the last thing that she really wanted to do and this morning when he had asked her if everything was okay she just simple told him yes, that she just didn't want him to be late for work like every Monday morning.  
  
So now she stood in front of the mirror looking at herself and feeling alone. She knew that she had to face the coming events by herself and she had only hoped and prayed that she could handle it all on her own. She had thought about maybe talking to Vin, Josiah or even Nathan but she was scared that they would make her go to Ezra. She had to tell someone though or she was going to go mad keeping it all locked inside of her and not being able to talk to anyone about it. She discarded her clothes on the bathroom floor and stepped into the shower, she figured out that she would tell Vin. Vin was one person that she could talk with and him not judge her or tell her what to do. He was one person that would sit and listen and then give his own advice weather you took it or not just like a true friend should be. ***************************************************************** Vin was pulling into the parking lot when his cell phone started ringing; he knew he was late for work. Hell all of them were usually late for work on Monday mornings. "Can a guy not get a break here?" Vin said into the phone without saying hello, he knew who it would be. He knew that Chris had all their cell phone numbers on speed dial and didn't care to push that speed dial button at any second.  
  
"Oh sorry, Maggie" Vin said as his face turned red. "Whoa, Mag slow down.... okay now tell me"  
  
Vin had the conversation over the phone with Maggie and promised to meet her for breakfast in twenty minutes. He could tell that something major was bothering her but what, he didn't know. He didn't know what he would tell the other guys, or should he tell them he thought. He had many talks with Maggie, usually about the outdoors, Ezra, or just life in general. But this time she sounded very upset to him and it concerned him til no end.  
  
Maggie pulled her car into the McDonald's parking lot and turn the engine off and sat back to wait for Vin to get there. She had only hoped she was doing the right thing by telling Vin. She also knew that if Ezra found out that she did tell Vin before she told him that he would come unglued, as JD would put it. Somewhere within these seven men she had found a home and a family. Every weekend was spent together. When one of them was hurt during a raid they all pulled in together to wait it out in the hospital. Just being together made Maggie feel safe again. *************************************************************************** Vin had hung up the phone and then called Chris to let him know just how late he was going to be. The leader of the seven didn't like that Vin was off to have breakfast with someone that he wouldn't say. A million and one thoughts had run through the leader's mind thinking of who it could be or what it could be about. Vin had assured him that it was nothing to be alarmed over, that he was just meeting a friend for breakfast and would be there within a couple of hours.  
  
He pulled into the parking lot and saw Maggie's car sitting in one of the spots. He noticed that she was still in the car when he pulled up next to her. He smiled to her as he got out of his jeep and noticed how fake Maggie's smile was back toward him. She didn't look too good he thought, there were dark circles around her eyes, and she sort of looked greenish he thought.  
  
"Are you okay?" came the concern from the sharpshooter's voice. "No" Maggie took off walking toward the entrance of the fast food place she found a table to sit at that was the closest to the bathroom just in case she had gotten sick again. Vin had ordered coffee for the both thinking that food wouldn't be a good ideal at the time from the looks of Maggie's face.  
  
"So what is bothering you?" "Vin I have something to tell you with the deepest trust that you won't say anything to anyone else, not even Ezra understand?" "Of course I do Mag but what's wrong?"  
  
"Vin I am two months pregnant." The tears started to sting her eyes as she spoke those simple words.  
  
Vin just looked at her shocked, he knew what Ezra's feelings were about children, Ezra made sure to state them from time to time when they had to deal with children.  
  
"Okay, Ezra doesn't know does he Maggie?" "No" came the almost silent reply. "When are you planning on letting him in on it?"  
  
"I am not going to tell him Vin, I know what you are thinking, that Ezra should know. But I had a talk with him the other night and he told me his thoughts about children and even having children, I knew this about him when I walked in on this relationship. But it doesn't mean that it don't hurt any less. I never meant for this to happen."  
  
"Maggie he has to know, I mean it is his child too. I understand what you are saying about him not wanting any children and all, but this just may be different in some way. He just has to know it ain't right to keep this from him and you know that." Vin said with is voice raising just a touch higher.  
  
Vin was usually the best person to get along with if you weren't trying to harm one of his friends, but he was starting to get angry with Maggie. He thought of Ezra as one of his best friends and didn't want him to get hurt by anyone.  
  
"Vin please, if I knew that you would tell him then I wouldn't have asked you to come here so that we could talk. Ezra made it straight the other night and now I know what I have got to do about this situation." Maggie allowed the tears to flow freely down her face. Inside her heart was breaking of her choices that she was going to have to make. She just hope that Vin would understand enough not to tell Ezra and make things worse than what they already was. She didn't mind a child, she didn't mind having a child. What she hated was the fact that Ezra would have nothing to do with her or the child when he did find out, if he ever found out she thought.  
  
"Maggie you can trust me not to say a word about this to Ezra, cause it ain't my place to. It is your place to tell him something like this. Maggie you have to understand that you shouldn't keep this kind of news from a man no matter what he has said or done in the past. He deserves to know at least this much don't you think?" Vin knew that his voice was harsh, he really didn't mean for his voice to sound that harsh toward Maggie but she was starting to get him upset.  
  
Vin sat and watched as Maggie just buried her head into her hands and cried, he knew that she was tore all to hell over what was going on, hell if he put himself in her shoes he would be the same, but that was just it he wasn't in her shoes and he only wanted her to do the right thing. Yeah sure Ezra usually had his face stuck in the next case that he would be working under cover on. He knew his job and he did his job well, and he didn't get good by not studying the case files, or staking out the place. Vin respected Ezra just the same as Ezra or one of the other guys respected each other. Ezra had saved his ass on more than one occasion. Vin knew that Ezra wouldn't neglect Maggie enough for her to turn to someone else, and he would be damned if she wouldn't tell Ezra.  
  
"Vin please listen to me, please listen to what I am about to say, don't judge me just listen to me please." Came Maggie's pleading voice. "Go ahead, I am listening." "Vin the reason that this is killing me inside, the reason that I am so very upset over this is not only because I know how Ezra feels about children...but."  
  
Vin waited for her words to come out, he waited for her to talk so that he could show her that he was listening to what she had to say. He wasn't going to judge her, he couldn't stand to be judged so why would he ever want to judge anyone else for that matter. He just wished he could talk some sense in this girl. He just wanted her to see just how in love Ezra was with her. He believed that no matter what Ezra would still feel the same about her.  
  
"Go ahead" Vin's voice smoother than before. "Vin, this is so hard to say...two months ago I went to dinner with a friend, we had a few drinks one thing lead to another and well Vin, we had ended up spending the night together."  
  
There she said it, she had finally come out with what she had been keeping to herself for those couple of months. She knew that Vin was getting mad she could see it clearly written across his face with the last words that she spoke. There were just so many secrets that she couldn't keep to herself.  
  
"One thing lead to another, where was Ezra? Maggie what the hell did you do?" "It was when you guys had that job in Texas, and you guys were gone for a few days. God Vin if I would have knew how that night was going to turn out I would have never of taken the invite, you have to believe me."  
  
"You want me to believe something like this, No Maggie I am sorry I don't believe you. Ezra is one of my best friends. He cherishes the ground that you walk on and you go and do him like this how could you of all the things.... who was the guy Mag, who was he?" Vin's voice becoming harsh yet once again.  
  
"Blake Introna he was my ex boyfriend. I never meant for this to happen Vin" Maggie's sobs wracked her entire body. She didn't make a move to wipe the tears that flowed down her already red swollen cheeks. She just needed someone on her side no matter who it was. She couldn't go through another day feeling this kind of guilt on her.  
  
Maggie knew that Vin was very angry with her, his body moves, words he spoke and even his face expressions told her that. He looked from the window, then to his coffee, then past her to the people coming and going. He couldn't get his eyes to look at her. He had felt betrayed for his friend.  
  
"So what you are saying is that you cheated on Ez, now you are pregnant and you don't even know who the hell the father is, damn Maggie why don't we just go on Maury and find out."  
  
Maggie was taken back by his comments; she also knew that he was only trying to stand up for his friend, just like any other friend would do. But out of all the people she could have talked to she had figured that Vin would be the most understanding. Maybe she should have talked to Josiah she thought as she stared at Vin.  
  
"Okay, Maggie you are going to come with me. We are going to the office and have a talk with Ezra. I am going to be there, I don't want to hear no....do you understand me? I promised that I wouldn't say anything to Ezra, because you are."  
  
Maggie could only shake her head yes in response. She knew that would be the right thing to do, she knew that she had to get it over with. She only hoped that she could make it through the entire mess. She stood up next to Vin and walked next to him as they walked from the fast food restaurant. Vin tried to calm things and put his arm around her shoulders, even though he didn't like her that much right now he knew that someone needed to be there for the both of them. He only wished one of the others could have dealt with it. He didn't like pressure of these sorts on his back. **************************************************************************** ****** Vin pulled the jeep in the parking lot looking back behind him making sure that Maggie was still there. He didn't want to have to go and hunt her down if she hadn't followed him. He knew that this wasn't the place to bring this matter up but there was no where else he thought was perfect other than the ATF building with all the guys there to make sure that Ezra didn't go off the deep end like he knew that he would.  
  
Maggie walked into the building beside Vin, a million thoughts of how to get out of the mess that she was in. She didn't want to lose Ezra but the only thing she really knew to do was leave. Leave Ezra and all of her new found friends. How could she stay with them knowing that she had betrayed their friend. Maggie just wanted to go back to that day and change the events. But she knew that she couldn't what was done was done and now she had to live with it. She made sure that all the tears she cried was wiped from her cheeks not wanting them to see the tears.  
  
"Vin," Larabee said as Vin and Maggie walked through the door to team 7's office. Right off Larabee knew something was up he could just sense it.  
  
"Maggie, sweetheart what are you doing here?" Ezra said getting up from his desk and walking toward where Vin and Maggie stood. "Ezra, we need to talk.... is there some where that we can go?" Maggie looked around the office and right off noticed all the other guys looking at her.  
  
"You can use the meeting room Ez" Chris answered puzzled over why Maggie and Vin walked in together and then Maggie being there at the office all together to talk to Ezra. That just wasn't normal.  
  
Ezra walked toward the meeting room allowing Maggie to go in first. Vin took off walking toward the couple when Larabee grabbed his arm stopping him from going any further.  
  
"Woa cowboy, don't you think that they may want to be allow?" "Can't happen Chris, I have talked with Maggie all morning and it ain't good, so someone needs to be there to calm Ezra down." Vin said as he walked on into the meeting room and shut the door behind him.  
  
Chris stood in front of the door, he didn't want to ease drop on someone else's conversation, but hell if Vin was in on it then he wanted to know what it was. He stood with his side leaning against the door action as though he was just guarding the entrance or something. But in truth he was trying his best to listen to the conversation that was taking place inside the room. **************************************************************************** ********* "Mr. Tanner, is there a reason for you being in this room?" Ezra asked "Yep" "Ezra, I asked Vin to be here," Maggie said not taking her eyes off of the smooth surface of the table in front of her. "Very well then go on"  
  
"Ezra do you recall the week you and team 7 was gone to Texas a couple of months ago?"  
  
Ezra nodded his head, he didn't like the way this was leading already, in all the months that he had knew Maggie he hadn't even seen her this upset before.  
  
"Well I met up with a friend and we had a few drinks, and oh god Ezra..." "Finish" came the only reply from the sharpshooter. "Ezra one thing lead to another and ...we...ummm...spend the night together." Maggie stated with her head hung down so not to see Ezra's face. She didn't want to see the disappointment that she put there.  
  
Vin watched as Ezra's face turn red by the second, he knew there was going to be hell and it was only beginning to start. He moved closer to his friend just to ensure Maggie's safety. Ezra started to run his hands together in anger.  
  
"Finish Maggie" Vin said in a harsh voice "Finish with it all" Vin was getting upset yet once again himself.  
  
"Ezra, honey I am so sorry I truly am "FINISH!" Vin yelled which caused him a cold stare from Ezra. Vin didn't want Ezra to be in the dark about everything that was going on around him. "I AM!" "Ezra, I am two months pregnant. I never meant for this to happen...you have to know that"  
  
Ezra just sat there in total shock; he didn't believe that he heard those words she had just spoken. "Ezra, please listen to me, I am sorry it was a mistake on my part it truly was...but ...but Ezra this child could be yours"  
  
"Hell no" came the silent reply from the southerner. It had finally dawned on Ezra just what she truly said to him only seconds ago. He was breathing heavily and his angry eyes turned to Maggie. "Ez....." "WHY!" Ezra stood up knocking his chair back against the wall and took both his hands to push all the items on the large table off then, he started to pace around the room. "WHY DID YOU MAG, WHY?"  
  
"Ezra, I don't know why.... I am sorry" "YOUR SORRY? YOU BITCH! Don't even pretend you are sorry when I know you're not!" Ezra's face was the reddest red as he walked around the room trying his best to keep his distance from Maggie or Vin. He had never felt so hurt in his life he thought as his heart broke and tears stung his eyes.  
  
"How could you Maggie, I gave you my heart and my soul. Something that I have never done before in my life and you stepped on it. You make me feel like a fool. How could you have done something like this too me. I want you gone do you understand me, I want you away from me, out of my home, out of my heart and most of all out of my life. You didn't love me did you, you played me for a fool that I am. Then to top it all off you tell Mr. Tanner before you tell me? How could you?" Ezra allowed the tears to flow not caring that Vin was sitting there watching him.  
  
"Ezra please listen too me please. I have been trying so hard to talk to you about this lately but you wouldn't never give me a chance so please just listen to me." Maggie begged with him. "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE BEFORE I DO SOMETHING I WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN FOR! You will lay the blame on me for this NEVER... You.... you are not worth my tears you understand me?" There was anger for the first true time in Ezra's voice.  
  
The door opened to the meeting room as Chris and the others came running in, they had heard Ezra screaming and all he noise going on inside the room. Each of them looking toward Ezra's red face and then to all the tears that fell from Maggie's eyes.  
  
Maggie stood up and walked past the other guys and out of the room crying.  
  
"Ezra calm down!" Came the stern voice of Chris Larabee.  
  
"You! Are you apart of this?" Ezra pointed a finger toward Vin as he walked closer to the sharpshooter. He only hoped that Vin didn't have a part of this with Maggie, but then he thought it couldn't be Vin was with them in Texas except for a couple of days when Vin had to return to Denver for a court date that couldn't be canceled. His mind was playing tricks on him, he just knew it. How could he even think a friend would do that to him? Then he wondered why Maggie would call Vin and tell him before she told Ezra.  
  
"No Ez, Maggie called me this morning and said she wanted to talk and when she let me in on what was going on I made her come here. She wanted to walk out of your life without you knowing and I just figured that if I was in your shoes that I would want to know." "Do you know who the son of a bitch is?" Ezra asked  
  
"Ezra don't do this to yourself, you need to calm down before something bad happens. You are going to hurt your own self by asking these kinds of questions." Vin tried his best to calm the southerner down.  
  
"VIN, I asked you a question and I want a answer now. TELL ME!" Ezra didn't try to hide the hurt, anger or shame in his voice. "Blake Introna...some ex boyfriend...but Ezra"  
  
There were no time to calm him down, Ezra walked quickly out of the meeting room and out the main doors. Vin ran out of the room after him cause he knew what Ezra had on his mind to do; he just hoped that he could catch up with him before he did it.  
  
"Okay what just went on here?" Buck asked looking around the room that was now in a mess from Ezra's rage. "None of our business Buck." Nathan said going over to the fallen chair and picking it up. **************************************************************************** **************** Maggie ran down the stairs thinking it would be the fastest way to go, she hated to see the pain she had caused in Ezra's face. Maggie knew she had done the right thing deep down in her heart. She knew by telling Ezra everything that she could maybe live with herself. The pain written across Ezra's face is what hurt her the most. That pain was pain that she had caused, pain and stress that she had put on Ezra her self.  
  
Maggie kept running until she had to slow down before she became very sick. All the action happening around her was starting to finally slow her down. She sat down on one of the stairs in the stairwell and buried her head into her hands and cried. She wanted so badly to turn back the hands of time; she just wanted to make things better not worse. None could help her now she thought, because she was in too deep. She prayed that the words he said to her were just that, words. Words didn't mean nothing she thought, then why did his words hurt her so badly? ************************************************* Vin ran out the door in hopes of finding Ezra before he made it out of the building. Vin knew what Ezra had on his mind to do, he was going to hunt that guy down and beat the shit out of him or shoot him either one. He just hoped that he could talk some sense into him before that happened.  
  
"Ezra, slow down!" Vin saw him in the hallway and quickens his walk toward him. "Mr. Tanner I wish not to have your company right now." "Oh come off it Ezra, and just stay put for a second and let me talk some sense in that damn fool head of yours."  
  
Ezra turned around to face Vin, it wasn't enough that he himself thought he was a fool but for his friends to also think that he was a fool tore him to pieces. He had always tried to gain the respect from his team members, always thinking that he could do better in his job and life. His heart was already spinning in circles; he was starting to feel the sickness that the knots were making in his stomach. Now with his so-called friends telling him he was a fool didn't help his stomach much either.  
  
"So you even think that I am the fool uh?" Ezra said when Vin caught up with him and stood next to his side. "No, I don't Ez..... aww hell Ez that was just a figure of speech and you know that." Vin said just realizing what he had said a few moments before to Ezra.  
  
"Ezra ya need to think before you act here, ya won't do nothing but git yourself in trouble...ask yourself Ezra is it worth it?" Vin stated. "Why Vin, why me? Never in my life have I ever felt so low as I do now." Ezra answered. He felt so cold and empty in his heart. He felt as though someone was gripping his heart tightly with no thoughts of ever letting go. He never knew that something like his heart hurting could bring him to his knees. The pressure that he felt in his chest, the hurting of his heart, and the sickness in his stomach was enough to hold up for so long until finally the undercover agent fell to his knees.  
  
"Ez you okay...come on talk to me Ez....Ez" Vin saw Ezra go to his knees and thought for a moment that his friend had passed out. But there was just a blank look in his eyes.  
  
"Can't lose what you never had" came the simple reply from the undercover agent.  
  
Vin hated to see the shape that his friend was in. He hated to see anyone of his friends that way. He knew that Ezra wouldn't want any to see him this way. That was the way Ezra was, he never asked much from his friends no matter what the situation was. He knew that Ezra wouldn't ask him for help now but he would be damned if he didn't offer it.  
  
"Ez listen to me..." Before Vin could finish his sentence the floor started to shake and he fell into the southerner with force to knock him over completely? The overhead lights started to flicker on and off as picture frames that hung on the building walls started to hit the floor spraying glass in all directions. Vin covered the southerner with his own body while wrapping his arms around his head to stay clear from the slivers of glass coming toward them. Vin knew that Ezra was in shock and everything that had gone on was now weighing on his shoulders. Vin also knew that the shape his friend was in that he wouldn't care what happened to him. Ezra was one person that when things got too hard for him he just wanted to end everything right then and there, so Vin did the best he could to protect both himself and his friend.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Vin screamed over the noise being made from the warning sirens, the screams from other workers in the building, and the glass breaking all around them. He could barely see from the dust that hung around like a thick fog. **************************************************************************** *** Maggie sat in the stairwell with her head buried into her hands crying over what she just went through with Ezra. Suddenly the ground started to shake with force, Maggie quickly grabbed onto the handrail next to her for support as she stood up. She held herself close to the wall and made her way up to the door she had just came out of, when the stairs above her started falling down piece by piece with small cement blocks coming toward her way. She tried to stray away from most of the debris but not all. A medium size cement block came toward her and knicked the side of her head forcing her to go down onto her knees. She put her hand to her head and felt the warm blood that came out of the cut the debris caused. Her stomach turns knots as thoughts came into her mind of what was going to happen to her in the stairwell. Her eye sight was starting to fade in and out as she fought to stay awake, but at last she fell on down to the shaky ground as she became unconscious. **************************************************************************** ******* "What the hell was that?" Buck asked getting up off of JD. When the ground underneath them started to shake he had grabbed onto JD and threw him to the ground covering him with his own body. The other officers of Team 7 left in the room found their own spots to take cover from the debris.  
  
"I don't know but I think we should find out don't you?" Nathan said while dusting himself off as he got out from under the desk where he was hiding. "We need to also see if anyone is hurt out there, so lets go!"  
  
"Everyone okay?" Chris Larabee asked coming from his office where he hid when it all had started. He had been sitting at his desk thinking about what was going on with Ezra and Vin when the shaking of the building started.  
  
"Yeah, I reckon" Buck said looking around and then casing his eyes onto JD making sure he was in one piece. "I could of been better if Buck didn't have to throw all his weight on me ya know" The kid wined.  
  
"Okay we need to find Vin and Ezra" Chris said stepping over things to walk across the office floor. **************************************************************************** **************** "Ezra you okay?" Vin asked while getting off of the undercover agent.  
  
"I am fine" Ezra simply stated while getting up from the floor and dusting himself off.  
  
"Okay. Lets see if the guys are okay" Vin stated while turning around to look the other way from where they had came down the hallway.  
  
"Maggie! Maggie came this way Vin, she had to of." "I am sure she is out of here by now Ez she had a good head start on us." Vin hated to tell Ezra what he was truly feeling inside, he felt as though she was still in the building somewhere. He only hoped that she got out of the building before all the shaking started.  
  
Ezra started to look down the hallway on each end of him trying to figure out in his mind which way would be the best to go, or which way he wanted to go. He knew that he just had to find Maggie and make sure that she was out of the building just like Vin had said that she was. He felt the panic start to form in his mind, as he couldn't see anyone in the hallways. He was completely turning around in circles searching for someone other than himself and Vin.  
  
"Ezra ya gonna have to calm yourself down for a bit and lets see what the hell went on here." Vin stated as he stepped over the debris.  
  
"Vin you don't understand, I have this feeling in my stomach, sort of like a sick feeling that something bad as happened to Maggie, we have got to find her."  
  
Vin took off down the hallway that they had just came from, he wanted to see if the others were okay before he did anything else. He looked behind him to make sure that Ezra was going to follow him and continued his mission when he saw that Ezra was. **********************************************************************  
  
"Vin, are you and Ezra okay?" Larabee yelled from the office door as he watched two of his agents coming down the hallway.  
  
"Yeah, one piece anyway. You guys?"  
  
"Fine" rang out through the silence of the office building. The only things that could be hear was the cracking of the walls and a few debris still falling in places.  
  
"What happened? Does anyone know?" Larabee asked looking to all the faces of his agents.  
  
"Sort of felt like a bomb, the way that the building shook over here and then over there. Like small bombs were going off one by one"JD said looking around the walls and ceiling as if he hadn't seen anything so weird in his life.  
  
"I get that same feeling...has anyone checked the phones to see if they are working. What about the entrance's and exits to the building...does anyone know if someone is hurt out there in the building...does anyone..."  
  
"Chris! Calm down a second and let ourselves regroup here!" Josiah said as he went to stand next to the leader of team 7.  
  
"Chris, Maggie may of not of gotten out of the building before this started but I have a feeling deep down inside that something is wrong." Vin said with a low voice as so no one could hear or understand him.  
  
The look that Vin got from Standish told more than he really needed to know. He knew that Ezra was shaken up and then adding the fact that the woman he loved deeply was maybe somewhere in the building didn't help Standish none either. Vin just couldn't shake the feeling that she was some how still in the building but where he didn't know. He knew that there maybe a few hurt people in that building and he hoped that Maggie wasn't one of them. Even though she had hurt one of his best friends and done something that no woman should ever have done didn't mean that he didn't care for her any less. He thought of Maggie as a friend to, when she had came into the group by Ezra's side they all had feared that she would be no good for him but for the first few months of their relationship she was only the best to him even though now she may had done wrong still didn't cloud his mind over his feelings for her.  
  
"Let me think" Chris said pinching the bridge of his nose in serious thought of what to do about everything going on around him.  
  
The six other men standing in the open office area looked to each other waiting for Chris's word to go. They looked at the leader for some kind of answer, each already knowing what needs to be done but still standing there waiting for the answer.  
  
"Okay this is what we are going to do here, Vin, Ezra and I will go through out the entire 11th floor. Nathan, Buck, JD, and Josiah go down the east end stairs if you can and make your way through the other floors and see what the hell is going on. Each man will take your CB radios in case we lose one another and stay in contact with each other, if this was a bomb then there maybe more.... Everyone be careful." The ex Navy LT. said as he started to throw the CB radios to each of his agents. **************************************************************************** *** Chris, Vin and Ezra walked through the same hallway that Vin and Ezra had just come from. Debris laid everywhere as they tried to step from it and over it. They came to the stairwell door and all three stood to stare at it for a silent moment, all three wondering the same and wanting the answer to the same question.  
  
Vin walked over to open the door, when he tried to push it open it he found that something was blocking him from fully opening the door.  
  
"Something is in the way of the door" Vin turned to tell Chris. "Can you open it enough to see inside, a lot of people use the stairs Vin and there maybe someone in there."  
  
Chris walked over to stand beside Vin to help him with opening the door. Together they finally got it to move a little bit so that Vin could peer inside. He saw all the cement blocks that were blocking the door but then it saw something that he would never get out of his mind as long as he lived. Blonde hair, he didn't know if it was Maggie or someone else from the building. His thoughts were that it was Maggie.  
  
"Chris I see someone" Vin moved to the side so that Chris could look inside of the little opening and he too saw the blonde hair of someone.  
  
"Okay lets try to get this door opened. Maybe if all three of us push we can move the debris out of the front of it, but be careful not to knock more of the cement down.Come on Ezra help us out here!" Chris shouted without meaning to.  
  
Ezra stood off to the side, he had heard what Vin say that he saw someone with blonde hair, Maggie has blonde hair Ezra thought. Chris's words brought his attention back to the task before them and he moved quickly to help Chris and Vin with the door. Together they had gotten the door opened just a little bit more.  
  
"Vin, do you think that you can squeeze through there?" Chris asked while backing up to peer at the opening in the door.  
  
Vin put himself between the door and the door jam pushing himself through the opening, he tried to push the door as he slid through.  
  
Ezra stood beside Chris watching as Vin finally made it on the other side of the door. Ezra's heart felt as though it had hit the bottom of his stomach. He head started to ache from worry or being scared to death he didn't know. He only wanted to find Maggie, to make sure that she was alright. Maggie was all that he could see in his mind at the moment, everything else blocked away.  
  
Once inside the stair well Vin tried to push and pick up some of the cement blocks out of the way of the door so that Chris and Ezra could join him. He made his way to the girl laying there and he pushed the blonde hair back to reveal the face of the woman he had just talked to that very same morning.  
  
"Oh no, Mag." Vin Tanner said almost silent. ********************************************************* "Ya'll see anything?" Nathan asked. The four agents couldn't see much of anything through the smoke that filled the stairwell.  
  
"Hey, is anyone there?" Buck yelled out, he was trying his best to see through the smoke. The ladies man eyes were started to burn and he put up a hand to rub at his eyes.  
  
"HELP!"  
  
All four agents turned to look at each other when they heard the voice screaming for help. "Where are you, keep talking." Nathan shouted  
  
The four agents, followed the voice that kept talking. Soon they were further down the stairwell. **************************************************************  
  
"Maggie, can you hear me?" Vin asked "come on Mag, you can't do this, you can't leave Ezra."  
  
"Vin, what's going on in there?" Chris asked from the other side of the door. "Chris, you need to find Nathan, now!"  
  
Chris turned to his undercover agent "Ezra try to get Nathan on your radio, I'm going in to help Vin."  
  
"Who's in there?" Ezra asked as he felt his stomach start to ache. "Don't know, just get Nathan."  
  
Chris slid his lanky body through the door, now that it was open more. The blonde agent quickly moved to the sharpshooter's side after he made his way clear through the door. ****************************************************************** "Nathan! Nathan!" Nathan Jackson pulled at the radio he carried on his hip. "Ezra, you okay?" "We, need you now!" "But Ez, I can't leave here, there is people hurt down here!" "Shit"  
  
Something was wrong Buck thought as he listened to the conversation of his fellow agents. Ezra never used simple words, and he could tell the southerner was scared just by his voice.  
  
"Ez, I'll be there as soon as I can. What's going on?" "Chris said that you were needed, I'm not sure."  
  
"Nate, we need you here." Chris broke through on his own radio. "We have a person here in the stairwell, looks as though debris knocked her down. Nasty lookin cut on her forehead, some small cuts and bruises." "Is she alert to what is going on?" "No, she is unconscious."  
  
"Wait! you said "She"." Ezra said then running to the door and pushed with all of his weight. "Ezra, wait, you can't come in here yet!" Vin yelled out trying to keep his friend away.  
  
"Chris!" Nathan spoke into the radio. "Chris, what is going on there?" Buck said grabbing his own radio.  
  
"Kid, let's go help these people out, they need us." Josiah said taking JD away from the conversation.  
  
**************************************************************************** * "No!" Ezra shouted as he made his way through the door to see his friends huddle over his girlfriend.  
  
Ezra run to her side pushing Chris out of the way not realizing what he was doing. Chris was taken back by his undercover agent's actions, but quickly realizing that he would have done the same in Ezra's place.  
  
"Maggie, can you hear me darlin, please answer me." Ezra cried. The undercover agent took careful caution as he lifted Maggie's head from the hard concrete and placed her on his lap. He pushed back the strands of blond hair that fell back over her face, hiding her features.  
  
"Nathan, what do we do?" Chris asked once again taking the radio in his head.  
  
Nathan's voice came back over the radio, "Chris what's going on?". "It's Maggie, Nathan."  
  
"Chris, can you get her out of the stairwell?" "Yeah, I think we can." The blonde man answered the paramedic. "Take her into your office, I will be there as soon as I can get outta here." "Okay" **************************************************************************** ****  
  
Vin and Chris slowing taking careful moves as they lifted Maggie from the ground and carried her into Chris's office and laying her down on the black leather couch. Ezra had moved most of the debris when he made his way through to the stairwell, so it didn't take much time to get back in the office's of Team 7.  
  
"This is my fault." Ezra was kneeled down next to Maggie. He was scared, he was scared of losing the one person that he loved. The person that he gave his all to. He replayed their arguement in his mind, the awful things that he had said came back to him. At the time of the arguement he didn't see nothing but how the woman had hurt him. Now, sitting at her side what he saw made him sick to his stomach, he saw how special she was to him  
  
"Ezra, this here, is not your fault." The blonde ATF agent said. "I made her leave, if she would had stayed then she would have been with me when all of this happened." Ezra said moving his hands wildy,"She would be okay."  
  
"Stop now Ezra, I don't want to hear that crap anylonger you got me?" The blonde leader said to his agent. Larabee made his way over to his undercover agent. Chris's temper was getting the best of him no matter how hard he tried to block it. "Listen Ezra, don't we have enough problems right now then having to hear you blame yourself. I will not stand to listen to it any more."  
  
"Chris, Ezra, come on this is not the time." The sharpshooter finally spoke to his friends.  
  
Nathan came into the room rushing to Maggie's side. He quickly noticed the tenison in the room that was caused by Chris and Ezra. He didn't know what was going on between them, but he wasn't going to waste his time to find out. He quickly started to work on Maggie. There were other people in the building that may need his help. He couldn't help them all at once, he thought. **************************************************************************** ***************  
  
"Josiah, I can't see a thing." JD said trying to see his way through the dust.The kid wiped at his watery eyes, making everything worse to see. "Neither can I, JD." The dust starting to sting at the large man's eyes as he spoke.  
  
Josiah and JD made their way further down the stairwell. They could see people at the bottom, debris blocked them from getting out of either end.  
  
"Sir, help us, we can't move from here!" "Hang in there miss, we are trying to get to you. Is anyone hurt?" The large agent asked. "No we all are okay, other than some cuts and bruises, please help us."  
  
Josiah's mind rushed with ideas on what to do. The woman was very scared and Josiah wanted to help her as much as he could.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****************  
  
"She is going to be okay Nathan, what about the baby?" Ezra paced back and forth across the office of his leader and friend. "Will they both be okay?"  
  
"Ezra, please let me work here." "Come on Ezra sit down and leave Nate alone for a minute." The sharpshooter tried his best to calm the undercover agent down before Chris Larabee done something he would regret.  
  
"She needs to get to the hospital to get checked over completely. The cut to her head, doesn't look all that bad but I can't tell." Nathan said a silent prayer to himself. He had come to really like Maggie.  
  
"Just how do you plan to get her off this floor?" Ezra asked with sarcasm in his voice. "I don't know Ez, but I think we can figure it out!" Nathan was trying to keep his cool with the southern. "Why not stop being a smart ass long enough to help me figure it out."  
  
"You hang on a damn minute Nathan..." "No Ezra both of you stop now, let's get Maggie some help and let your ego's go for a while. Do you think that you can handle that?" Chris's glare was not helping neither one of their tempers either.  
  
**************************************************************************** ************** TWO WEEKS LATER:  
  
Chris Larabee walked around the small office that now housed the ATF agents until their building was okay to return to. He felt cramped up in the small space and so did his men, he noticed their tensions rising higher every day.  
  
"A bomb was planted." The blonde leader of Team Seven said as he threw the folder down on the table that his agents were sitting around. "A bomb, but why?" JD asked."Why would someone want to do that?" "Don't rightly know kid, but we are going to hunt the bastard down." The sharpshooter spoke with just above a whisper.  
  
Ezra was in his own little world, thinking about Maggie. She was still in the hospital and he couldn't wait to get back to her. She had been through alot the past two weeks, and he didn't want to leave her alone for one second. He had nearly lost the love of his life over a lie. He couldn't blame it on the bomb because she wouldn't have been there if she hadn't lied to him. He also knew that she wouldn't have been hurt if he hadn't talked to her the way he did. If only he would have stayed calm and talked to her instead of running her out of the office she would not be in the hospital now. He wasn't about to lose her again no matter what it took. He wanted to have her out of his life, but his heart wouldn't let him. He knew that he needed her more than anything. She was the only person that got through to him like no one else had ever done before.  
  
"Ya'll can get out of here. We will meet at the ranch later. Ezra are you sure that Maggie is going to feel up to coming to the ranch after you pick her up from the hospital today?" "She said that she was." Ezra simply stated. "Fine, see you then." Larabee said as his agents got up from their chairs.  
  
**************************************************************************** ***************  
  
Ezra quickly drove to the hospital to pick Maggie up. She would be released today and he couldn't wait to have her home. They had alot of talking and problems that they needed to get through, but he knew that together they could over come anything.  
  
"Are you comfortable?" Ezra asked before he shut the door to the Jag. "Yes." Ezra waited for his answer then he shut the door and walked to the drivers side to get in.  
  
"We will go back to the apartment first, then later on we will go to Mr. Larabee's ranch, is that okay with you?" Ezra asked before he pulled out of the hospital parking lot.  
  
"Yes, and stop Ezra, stop treating me like I will break." Maggie knew that Ezra was sorry for saying the things that he had said. The words still hurt because she knew the words that he had spoken were true.  
  
**************************************************************************** ***************  
  
LATER AT THE APARTMENT:  
  
Maggie sat up in the bed, she watched as Ezra got dressed into jeans, and a polo shirt. She loved him, she knew that was for sure. She knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with this man. She had to make things right with him, she had to keep him.  
  
"Ezra, I think that we need to talk." "Yes, Maggie you are right but I want to say something first. I don't care who that baby belongs to, it is mine no matter who says different. I want you and the baby comes with you. I don't want to know who it belongs to because I think if we did it would be much harder. I feel strongly that it is mine and I want it to stay that way."  
  
Maggie was taken back for a minute by Ezra's words. He had never spoke to her like that. She had thought he was dead set on not wanting any children. Now there he was standing before her telling her that he did want children. She was lucky not to lose the baby, maybe there was a reason that she didn't she thought.  
  
"Are you serious, but Vin knows about the baby. Can you live with him knowing it?" "Yes, Mr. Tanner and I have talked about this and he agrees with me. So we should not have anymore to say about it right?"  
  
"Right.....right Ezra, if this is truly what you want?"  
  
Ezra sat down on the edge of the bed next to Maggie, he took her hand into his and held it tightly for a breif moment. "Just don't ever lie to me again Maggie, I can't trust you right now, but I do however think that with time we can learn to trust each other again. Please Maggie, I can't take you lieing to me anymore. There should be nothing that we can't tell each other."  
  
"You're right Ezra, and I promise to you, I won't lie to you ever again. I want us to be happy and to be a family." Maggie wiped at the tears that started down her cheeks. She couldn't believe that Ezra had forgave her for her actions.  
  
"We are going to be a family and I couldn't be any happier, unless of course the baby is a boy." Ezra laughed. He drew Maggie close to him into a tight embrace. His life was about to change and he was ready for that change.  
  
"Ezra, you do know we have to get rid of the Jag don't you?" Maggie whispered.  
  
Ezra's eyes grew size as big and round. He groaned, he didn't want to get rid of the Jag and he hadn't really even thought about it. How could he part with his Jag he thought.  
  
THE END 


End file.
